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Elimination diet trials: setting up for success
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For many vets, common challenges when conducting elimination diet trials include client compliance, practicality and interpretive value, but Vandre Clear offers some pointers to help make the trial meaningful, user-friendly and successful.
Vandre Clear
DVM
Dr. Clear received her DVM from The Ohio State University in 2009. She completed a specialized private practice internship in Internal Medicine and Critical Care, then practiced as an emergency clinician and general practitioner for the next three years. However, with a developing interest in dermatology she left general practice and completed her residency in dermatology at Michigan State University in 2015.
Client communication
Explain that animals can develop an allergy to any proteins they have ever eaten, whether animal-based or plant-based. Many pet owners believe that their pet cannot be allergic to their food “because they have eaten it their whole life“. When conducting an elimination diet trial, you must eliminate everything the pet has previously been exposed to (Figure 1). Exposure to even small amounts of an antigenic substance can cause a flare or persistence of symptoms.
Address the misconceptions that grains cause allergies. They have no increased likelihood of causing symptoms over any animal-based protein.
Explain that grains and other plant-based proteins are in pet food to provide highly digestible sources of protein, not as fillers. While many pet food manufacturers now use peas or potatoes as plant-based proteins, animals can develop adverse reactions to these proteins as well.
Prepare your clients for the rigors, expense, pitfalls and benefits of a proper elimination diet trial.
Avoiding pitfalls
Whenever possible, have all pets of the same species in the household on the food chosen for the elimination trial. This will reduce cross contamination and accidental or unseen exposure via shared food and water bowls. Additionally, access to other animals’ foods, licking dishes left out on tables or counters, etc. can all confound a diet trial.
Most pet owners are disheartened by the need to eliminate all treats and flavored chew toys. Make sure that you provide treats and/or canned food that are appropriate to the diet you choose. Provide options of chew toys that are not flavored and that do not contain animal or plant proteins (Figure 2).
Ensure you have a strong base knowledge about pet nutrition and ingredients. The more you can explain to your client about pet nutrition, the more success with compliance you will have. It is imperative to success that owners understand why you are conducting the elimination diet trial and why you are setting certain specific rules and guidelines. [...]
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